Quill #44 - Challenged (2010)

"Write something humorous," he says,
"Not so depressing."
I frown at him and sigh.
Toy planes could land on my nose
And he would grin,
But I never know what is funny.
Whole audiences at theatres
Consider me warped.
And I'm always in the
Most
Visible
Spot
When laughter catches me
And tears me apart,
Helpless to defend myself.
It's always a wry moment,
A peek into painful,
Something revealing,
Poignant,
Stubborn,
Childish,
A human moment
That unguards me,
And every row of heads
Stares
At
Me.
I snicker at my own thoughts
And he says, "Yeah!"
"Write about that."